Azure 0: Rebellion Sequence/Arc 1 Episode 1: Hope of the Blue/Transcript
---- Arc 1: Grimoire of Destruction Episode 1: Hope of the BLUE ---- Unknown, Nex's Memory A teenager sits on a structure of beautifully crafted stone beyond rows of modest buildings, the clouds are low and the treelines thick. Feeling the crisp air blow through strands of his spiky hair, eyes staring daggers to the distance while thoughts of responsibility swarm as he waits there. The look on his face is of one who has a task they know they must accomplish but doesn't wish to go through with it. It's the weight of his own doubt. But it's strange, he shouldn't have it... in a place so harmonious. "Hey, hurry! Hurry up!" Suddenly the call pulls him out of his heavy daze. A tone full of life invites him, beckoning his attention as he calmly puts his gaze to her. The person is a girl. With a faint and warm smile on her innocent face, she extends her arm above her head as she waves at him with a small hand, her bright hair behind her shoulders and sitting at her back. Seemingly glowing with an internal light, the figure couldn't be discerned beyond this image and yet... he knew her, softening the teenager's look further but at the same time instilling his mind with a bittersweet and naive bliss. She hurries through the field, arms spread out to the side without any worry her expression is free of any concern, no, there is no reason to worry, while he's around. Turning every now and again from her happy little weaving steps to see if he still follows, he'd gesture with his head and she would merrily continue. No sound pierces the still night. With a subtle look of adoration to the girl's movements and her bubbly melodic hums, the teenager lifts his head as he strides along the path behind her. Soon they're looking to the sky above, with no signs of the heavy thoughts from earlier on the young boy's profile. The girl leans comfortably in his lap sitting upright against his chest, she tilts her head up with a child's grin as the two look on to the peaceful horizon of the night and speckling the vast sky are many stars. With her finger, she points to the brightest while her opposite hand cradles a locket shimmering with an azure glow on its reflective and metallic surface hanging on the girl's neck by a chain. The beautiful artifact seems to carry a blossoming radiance all its own. "You'll always remember this, right?" She asks him while her fingers grip the locket tightly, but her voice becomes quiet, almost meek, as she says the next words. "And...you'll always want it, right?" The question brings a second of hesitation to his response, however, his look becomes firm. "Yeah, 'course I will." Answering her as he puts his hand on her head with a gentle and protective touch. "Always." He affirms with a nod, and the girl's smile returns as she turns her stare back to the sky. Feeling his eyes become heavy as he leans back against the tree, the teenager's arms wrap around the waist of the girl who rests. "I never want it to end. I wish we could stay here forever, this is the world..." Opening his eyes, the male turns his head down to her again and speaks without any doubt. "I'm not goin' anywhere." Shaking his head he then rubs his hand down along his neck quickly while a frown flashes across his expression. "I might hate protecting that strange thing and they've been acting a bit weird lately...but still, it gives us this doesn't it?" "Peace, harmony." He trails off. "I'm glad you're happy, so am I. I never want it to change..." Listening to the last of his words, she closes her eyes and nuzzles her head back into his body. A content smile on her face, she begins to drift, letting the teenager's mind return to a state of tranquility once again. Only a few seconds later, his eyes widen suddenly when the girl's warmth begins to go cold. A surging touch of fear creeps into his heart. Locking his teeth together with a desperate breath when his fingers grip her tightly but she suddenly slips through them. Grotesquely her body breaks down into a black sludge and the teenager's eyes are wide with disbelief for a time. But in the face of cold acceptance, he lowers his head with a scowl of rage as the world fades around them, and underneath him is a scarlet darkness that the pitch liquid from her body drips into. Above him in the place of the sky, is a swirling and shattered blue void of crystal. "Another episode of your pathetic delusion again...?" The mocking growl hisses in the air at him in impatience. "Wake up. Wake up. WAKE UP!" It is a repeating demand that grinds as the voice steadily increases in volume before it whispers and says a name he despises. "Azure 0... I'm waiting! You want that power, don't you! You little azure whelp! Powerless, hopeless, lifeless, pointless ahahahaahaa!" The inhuman growls, that sneering laughter come from within his head, and each word strengthens the boy's grim glower, but he says nothing to that thing. Only air slides through his teeth as water from the corner of his eyes slides down his face and mixes into the Seithr leaking out of the girl's deteriorating body. Although he places his hand tight against his forehead he bitterly realizes it does no good, as his bleak look then pulls tight into an agonized grin. The black and shapeless masses wriggle around in the darkness surrounding him. With hideous shrieks, their multiple eyes set on him. Those squirming limbs, incandescent fangs gnashing, claws scratching at nothing. But he can't bring his eyes to their incomprehensible forms, holding his gaze to the one person in his arms. He finds himself releasing the girl's husk from his hands letting her fall on the void of red beneath him while his arms drop to his side. His eyes are no longer tranquil, or even doubtful. They were frighteningly clear as glass, an inferno of rage and desire burning inside. And then... the memory and nightmare it all fades away and is consumed in the blanketing darkness. ---- Sector Unknown, Ruined City His eyes open up, absent of the malice from earlier. The jade irises dart around a few times as he pulls himself out of a casket-like body. Besides the dust, Seithr drifts around the air like a glassy ash, and it seems to have concentrated... there's so much of it. The dry feeling in his lungs forces a painful cough out of Nex, his stance crumples the instant he puts his foot down onto the steel floor and he rolls onto it keeping himself up with his palms and knees. Holding his head down while he continues to cough in panic, Nex tries to come to grips with everything. "Where..." Quietly he speaks in a confused sneer and lifts his head. The building he's inside is broken down, deteriorated and unprotected from the elements on the outside. His eyes don't stare down a wall, but instead a forlorn cityscape of utter devastation. While taking it all in, unspoken realizations hit his head, and all at once he breaks down while holding the locket. "You damned 'gods'... why... what the hell do you want from me!" It was gone from him, and all he does is yell loudly and pound his fist into the hard floor in futile fury all toward the seemingly empty world around him. The azure glimmer of the Locket shines on his chest, and he gently cups it in his hand letting himself stare at it. Pulling himself back together, with a broken huff he hangs his head down before forcing himself back up from the floor. His clothes are dirty from the chest down, covered in the black soot, but he doesn't seem to care about his ragged appearance and instead begins to explore his new surroundings. There were no signs of current activity or life in this desolate space, just Seithr everywhere. Buildings slanted and broken down structures, lifelessness grips the air. Even the sky is dark, such a forlorn horizon in comparison to what he was thinking about what felt like moments ago. Seeing everything gives him flashes of fleeting moments in his memories, but nothing concrete. There had been someone reaching out and talking to him in a desperate tone among the yells and cries of battle. The hand would fall limp, just seconds before reaching to him through the dust and bright light-- or at least it’s how he recalls the event turning out. "Ugh... my head is killing me. This place got hit pretty hard...those memories are before this place turned into a wasteland?" Sliding his hand down his aching temple, he notices the shapes of weapons and remains of Armagus with no owners to them scattered in the building along with small crystalline shards of energy glistening on the floor like gems. “''Just how long was I in here?" While his thoughts are deep, Nex doesn't notice as his stature wobbles a bit and he stumbles out of the remains of the room from the edge of the eaten floor smashing on the lower grounds with a loud crash falling again to his side. After he grunts and manages to steady his shaking body, part of a panel creeks from above, and a shadow darts. Putting his eyes to the movement as he swiftly turns his head and torso he makes a squint and turns before he then moves further down. That shadow is swiftly struck down by a blade-like projectile that flies in from a glowing void of magic runes suspending itself. The weapon embeds itself into the pitch thing, but Nex doesn't stick around for the struggle and instead he picks up his pace while his heartbeat begins to race. Wedging himself away into a corner, the boy tries to hide from the strange individuals. It doesn’t last long when something reaches down, then pulls Nex off his feet from his hiding place, and he lashes about in a furious struggle. “Put me down, let me go!” "''Hush, you need to calm yourself. I'm not here to harm you. You'll attract attention this way." The older male speaks in a strong tone to the still squirming and fearful Nex. "I'm here to help you." He says it while putting Nex on one of the broken structures of concrete, and slowly he begins to calm down as his flailing movement ceases but his eyes remain wide with caution. The person stands much taller than him, having a somewhat mysterious air about them. Adding to the enigmatic image with his physique being difficult to discern due to the loose black attire encasing his whole body, save the head, with bright violet ring-like shapes of alloy only around his wrists and ankles. A headpiece covers the top half of his face with three antennas of steel lying along each side of his temple and at the center of the piece held a purple crystal-like object. While Nex takes in the image, they reach out and summon a small Armagus from the ring of energy and toss it to the floor. The thing releases a magic sigil and then creates a small barrier to close the space. "I didn't think anyone was alive..." He says it quietly, as he finally sits down unable to think of anything else in the man's presence. He certainly looks as though he could handle himself. A pause comes when the man checks their surroundings, and while he does he speaks to the young Nex. "Very few can live in a city like this. It's been engulfed in Seithr and Corrosion from the conflict the Government brought to it... I have waited here, in the interims of time for you to awake. I witnessed the end of the people who defended the operations in this city." He answers plainly, before ending his steady patrol of the room, and turning to face Nex fully. "A conflict?" Nex’s expression darkens with unease as he asks the stranger. "...Yes. After the Third War, a struggle took place that led to the state of this city falling into ruin and is now the landmark, a reminder of our greatest sins and failure. It is a twisted shell of its former self. But that's irrelevant." He shakes his head and lowers to the confused Nex while continuing to speak in a firm tone yet it’s one that lacks any particularly powerful emotion. "The important thing is that you are still able to fight against the world." With a long frown while he listens to the man's explanation, Nex turns his head back to the ruin. "Look, I don't care about fighting right now. Where... is she?" Swallowing in hesitation at the last bit of his question, he gains a grim look unbefitting of someone his age. "I am sorry child… but she didn’t make it with you." "D-dammit..." There's a twinge of sorrow to his response, as he tries to choke back his solemn realization. He whips his head away and then hops off the structure with an uncaring look. Aimlessly the boy begins to walk through the remains of the collapsed building and somehow he already knew those would be the words to come from the man's mouth. "Boy of the Azure…" He begins to speak again, "Don’t let the despair of this place consume you. You will get your chance to learn the truth, gain your power, and design your new destiny." Slowly the man’s eyes follow Nex’s heavy steps, and he begins to follow calmly, keeping a bit of distance from him. Upon hearing his words, Nex stops walking and clenches his hands tightly before his next response becomes intense with resolve. "My only ‘destiny’, is to keep my word. I... I have to go back there!" "No.” The man's response seem to try to quiet the idea swiftly. Those short, blunt words cause a scowl from the inward despairing Nex. Eyes full of sorrow and anger he growls while keeping his gaze from him. “''What do you mean no?” He growls the question. “''You can't go there right now." Confirming his meaning again in the same tone that man's answers annoy Nex, he seems perfectly aware of how much it hurt the boy but is still content to continue without any concern for his words. But the man’s lack of sympathy or rather humanity, isn’t what’s on his mind, it’s being told he couldn’t. Those words ignite a defiant fire in his soul. "Like hell I can't...!” He snaps his body back to face the man, walking up to him and growling angrily as he grips his clothing and looks right up to him. “''If you know so much then why can't you take me back there!" He yells it again, “''Take me back right now!” "You will find only despair. It is not something you're ready to face." Nex's eyes widen as he stares up at the man, then he dips his head and slumps slightly. "Then... what the hell am I supposed to do?" Saying the question to himself, his hands release their grip on the man's front bits of clothing. His arms fall back to his side and he holds the locket a moment while his squinting eyes shine with sorrow. "I won't break my word to her... if I don't come no one will. I don't care about falling into despair, I don't care about suffering! I just... " He then closes his eyes tightly, scrunching his facial expression while pressing air through his teeth in a display of frustration. "Don't want her to." The man looks at Nex while the teenager’s gaze is to the ground. “''If that is what you desire, then let it strengthen your resolve to fight. This world needs to be shown that once again.” “''What does that have to do with anything!” Frustrated, the boy lifts his head sharply and gives a cold glare. His words are still a growl, but the man shows no signs of vexation and answers him calmly. “''You have a strong resolve in your eyes. That's good, Nex. You'll need this courage for the fight ahead of you. Not many will help you on that road... this world doesn't wish to have any kind of suffering in it." Nex shuts his mouth in surprise but makes a scowl soon after while twisting his head away. "''I’m aware you want nothing more than to return to that ideal reality. But it isn’t that simple. You have to gain the power to find a way in the future. For now, try not to focus on the past, or it will consume you. Do you understand?” He says it firmly, in almost an imposing tone, and yet it held no ill will to the boy, but more subtle concern. Turning himself away from the man once more, Nex’s hand presses against the locket. “I don't understand that, no." "You will in time. It's fine that you don't. You're still very young." '' ''Young? More like powerless..." Expelling a sigh he feels sorrow creep into his words. "You will have your chance, I will protect it, that I promise you." Somehow those words are reassuring, though Nex can't place why. He lowers his head in thought looking at the metal floor as his feet drag along it. The man points his head to the barrier as though to check its still in place before he follows after the sullen teenager. "But why would you help me?" He asks as he points his eyes back to the stranger, his eyes now full of curiosity. "I have my reasons." He pauses a moment. "Now is not the time to talk. If its power you wish for, how do you intend to get it? What are you willing to do for it?" "I..." He trails off to let himself think before he replies. “If I had power, I would have been able to do something more." His eyes shine with a certain determination once more. "That’s why I’m going to discover how to awaken my power over the Azure. I'll do it by any means necessary.” “''The Azure…? You would feel its call. Still, you won’t find any traces of it here that you can use and seeking that power is not as simple as you may think." While he rubs the locket's surface in his grip as they continue to walk through the facility's remains, Nex listens to the warning the man gives about the Azure, a frown of bitter determination slowly coming forth in the young silver hair's expression. "''It has a will of its own, and many dangers lay in tapping into the Boundary in search of it. But it is a power that you must take as your own... do you believe that you can?” Feeling a sense of pressure in the man's voice, Nex dodges the question. “''The only thing I "must do", is to find a way to awaken it. The sooner I do, the sooner I can figure out where that damn thing is keeping her.” With his left leg, he swings into a kick at the floor to vent his frustrations. There's a loud clack sound when the tip of Nex’s shoe smacks a piece of loose shrapnel, the unwieldy strike smashes it hard and causes the portion of the deteriorating piece to crumble down under the earth. Echoes of it bouncing down and breaking apart brings his eyes downward to follow it, however, something else moves in the crater. A blue dot inside of some kind of metal slides to center itself as it places its eye on Nex, and following it is the sharp end of a colorless blade that streaks up from bellow. Without thinking much, Nex leaps backward in a flip and slides along the floor away from the blade. Briefly, his eyes are on the projectile which soon fizzles away. “''Huh?” Eyes wide with confusion, Nex swiftly levels his head back to the one that follows the blade and floats above the floor several feet. The being is covered in a patterned white and blue body suit from head to toe, leaving only certain bits of skin beneath the neck and part of the stomach exposed to the elements. And on certain portions of the arms and legs is fitted armor-like constructs, the azure-colored visor that has the blue eye inside of it sits against its face while their hair is cheekbone length and white, with a small antenna at the top. “''Target located… unstable possibility, a variable of Azure. Realizing core command to capture and identify target.” It says it in a voice more fitting to a machine as several blades appear behind it from a faint sigil floating against her back. “''An Azure Interface Prime Field copy, and one bound to that power… for them to be here would mean they already witnessed this chance.” He points his gaze to the being as well. “''N-no way, why are they here!” Eyes wide, Nex says it in a small bit of unease, and he can't take his stare from the armored artificial lifeform. “''To stop you from making alterations on your possibility.” His comment makes Nex look over in confusion but he abandons the thought and quickly straightens his look to the being once more in self-concern, but the sight of it also brings his teeth together behind a darkening frown of pain. A sickening sense of familiarity washes over him as he breathes quickly. Backing away from the entity as it slides closer in mechanical purpose, the visor’s blue eye again focuses on him. While frightened, hate also gleams in the boy’s eyes toward it. The stranger’s voice calls in warning as the teenager continues to step away slowly along the metal floor. As the man notices his expression his voice stays in the same placid tone, but there’s a sense of urgency to his following words. “''We can’t stay here, Nex, follow me.” He says it quickly while making a gesture to Nex with his hand. Despite hearing his tone, the weapon that thing held is poised to strike pointed tip-out just bellow its shoulder as it begins to glide in toward Nex. Seconds before the would-be strike, his eyes widen, his look melting into one of stiffening shock while instinct takes over when he realizes he's run out of flooring. Throwing himself over the gap between him and the next part of the building, the tip of the long and thin cyan energy blade lodges itself into a standing cylindrical piece of metal instead of the teenager. As his feet touch the floor, Nex is already breaking into another full rush forward. “''Nex, wait!” He hears his words but doesn't stop. Leaping once more as he falls feet first onto broken machinery using it as makeshift footing to descend one by one on the constructs sticking out of it before again running off toward one of the districts further into the city. When he lands further down out of the facility into sub terrain, he peers back up for only a second. The sounds of conflict still resonate on the upper level, he assumes the stranger or the armored entity are busy with each other, but he couldn't take his chances. With a broken sigh still heavy with his discomfort, he turns himself away from the building, closes his eyes and continues to run away along the concrete roads with the desolation of the landscape around him. “''Pursuing.” From behind Nex, the Interface appears once more through a void as it flies in making its armor shift along the body for the purposes of slimming its design. She comes in and attempts to snare him, throwing her arms forward in a crossing motion as two blades close in from the side. Inches separates them, and all that keeps him from being skewered is a momentary hop from the ground, though a somersaulting kick with the edge of its leg armor slams the teenager down to the hard concrete with a crushing force, forcing a cry from Nex. As his vision comes back together, steel fills his sight, and he rolls away from another jab while kicking straight up in its chest with his shoe's sole. It doesn't do much aside make it back up a few paces, as Nex grunts in frustration and anger. It gives him enough time to return to his feet to sprint from his pursuer once more when it chases him through the fanning and broken foundations of a nearby square. Nex is surprisingly agile as he jumps over and along iron pillars and stone foundations twisting his body midair so he’s able to dodge the incoming blades. “''I… I have to get away…” He thinks to himself as dust and soot whip through his strands of hair. But in those moments of shuddering pants, they suddenly quiet when he pictures something in his mind. An image ripples similar things to these puppets were chasing him, their weapons poised to strike him as he defends 'her' from them. The girl's trembling frame hiding behind his protective stance, while she coils her head in terror as a bright blue light seeps through the cracks of the gate at the top of the spiraling tower he remembers. He snaps back to reality as it ends, and slowly the teenager's eyes narrow. A vicious anger pushes his teeth together, his feet stop as he grinds to a halt. Closing his eyes as he takes the image in once more, his chest heaves a breath in his resolve that removes the fear from his mind. Turning his body fully he swings his arm out to the side and shoots a glare to the approaching AIP. "I won't lose to all you damn puppets again!" Giving off a growling grunt in defiance, he pulls his hand back as darkness shrouds it from his fingers to his wrist the dark blaze generating itself from Seithr. Focusing his glare, Nex then charges forward along the streets right toward his attacker. They come in headlong, with a scowl of anger the young silver hair pulls his body into a twist and slams the edge of his fist into the beings bodysuit where her ribs would be, sending his foe to a brief stagger, but the blade fastened to its arm soon thrusts at him. Nex ducks underneath its path as it brushes and cuts strands of his hair. With a small hop when he comes back in close he draws in some of the Seithr and it coats the edge of his shoe in a small trail of darkness before he swings with force into its back to send the AIP stumbling forward. Despite the boy knowing how to utilize the Seithr around him, it doesn’t seem to be helping, nor does his inexperience. Leaping over a steel petal-blade that swipes the ground, he pulls his hand back and then hooks a blow down at the being with his fist encasing itself in a shadowy crimson. The impact strikes against the visor of the being, the blow full of fury, rattles her stance before the being falls backward skidding on the floor by its leg armor. Correcting its stance with a precise movement, she throws her hands out, the projectiles of energy shaped as blades then lunge at him again from the two voids. Twisting his body away from the path of one, Nex winces as the next cuts the side of his lower leg and brings him down to his knee briefly. Pushing air between his teeth from pain, he glances up with wide eyes and notices the tip of another blade drop right toward him, forcing his body to weave away to avoid it. The sword phases through the concrete when it splits apart into energy, and Nex runs back in swinging his hand yet again to plunge it to the gut, however, a cut soon appears over his arm as the blades strike against it and rip open several wounds. After a painful wail, Nex gives a growl while staring daggers through the visor of the girl. These things… they were like machines, more powerful than some drive users, and definitely stronger than any normal man. Blood drips to the cold hard floor from Nex’s injury on his leg and arm, his hands battered from striking the armor of the entity. “''You why won’t you break…? Why can’t I destroy you damn things!” Closing his eyes as he says it with frustration, he slumps slightly. He knew destroying the thing wouldn’t make a difference. With partial cracks along its body, it knows nothing but to continue toward its objective like a cog in a wheel performing its job, knowing that it would eventually break is never its concern, as a new one would replace it just as fast. His jade eyes are suddenly drawn to the energy that pools into reality rippling against it nearby the teenager, he turns his eyes expecting it to be another blade. However what speeds forward is another of those robotic beings that makes a crescent blade spin like a wheel, and after it narrowly misses his feet, he runs away from it with a grunt of disdain. Throwing himself forward, he slides to the cover of a broken building’s wall. “''Irregularity of Seithr detected. Must take to the system, existence must continue before corruption occurs.” It sounds off from somewhere nearby, the voice echoing off the streets. Nex raises his head while he still grips his bleeding arm. Something bothers him about it, but he doesn’t have time to concern himself with it. With slowing huffs of exhaustion, he slowly peers from the corner of the concrete wall. “''What the hell are they talking about?” He shakes his head forcing himself to dismiss the thoughts, “''Ah it doesn’t matter, this isn’t good. They’ve got my signal... it won’t be long before-''” A blade pierces the wall, sending a cloud of shrapnel at him and ending his thought. Nex turns himself with a swift movement and hurries away once again. The sight of another blade coming in cause him to make another sharp turn when a third girl appears. The sight of remains of crumbling statues and a massive building’s pieces and pillars on the end of the streetway causes his blood to run cold. Snapping himself back straight, his eyes dart when he notices the beings have him surrounded in the square of the forlorn city. Dust kicks by and he turns his attention to each while taking a step back. “''S-shit…” He's staring down the three girls who all make glyphs that rotate and from their depths peers the tip of the blades. “''Fire.” They speak in unison, three of them in total, all wearing the same armor, with the same color, and three blue eyes in the visors keen on him. The last thing to direct itself is the hovering blades which reveal their forms all aiming to the teenager. A second passes them by and a loud squelch is heard. Sharp ends of the blades protrude out from the teenager’s body in various places, blood spattering the wall. Trembling as he fights to remain standing his feet unsightly slipping around as he grinds his teeth together, but despite his crumbling stature, his fury still burns. A red darkness shrouds itself around the furious teenager, his eyes darkening, he tries to focus on the strange strength that flows through him, and it begins to make a crest. But just as it happens, another wave of swords strike him. Following his wrenching gasp, the teenager's eyes shrink with pain, and the energy dies out with it in black flakes. He hangs his head down and cringes before instantly falling to his knees on the concrete with strenuous breaths. “...Dammit, not like this…''” Each word grinding with pauses from blood dripping down his mouth, he holds his locket in a trembling hand as the crimson droplets slide along the blue surface of it. His expression absent of any fury, just irritation to his own fragile state. A woman’s voice soon breaks forth, but his vision is too blurry to even see her aside the fact she’s a bluenette. "That's enough." Even though the beings lower the blades at the sound of her command, and stop circling the teenager, Nex’s mind is still only focusing on his own situation. "It can’t be like this… why am I… so powerless to protect anything?" He groans as his body shakes and the blades shatter, freeing his limbs, but the damage is done. His world spinning, and corners of his vision going dark, his body sways before he drops to the floor full-length. "The Power of the Azure. Hope for the world..." The woman figure begins, but Nex can't lift his head to even notice her. "forgive me for this, but if we don't claim it... the only thing that will become of it is suffering, and that will kill this world." As her words fill his ears, Nex lays there as the woman approaches him quietly and then crouches down. His eyes go to her hand which soon touches his shining locket. The teenager’s gaze lacks any kind of hostility, the exhaustion and pain too great for that. "I am truly sorry, child. But I will not disobey the will of this world." She says it almost somberly. The man from earlier reappears as well and lands, he is hardly damaged, his body covered in scuffs but lacks any true injury. The stranger looks at the woman’s back, and then slowly speaks a name. "Irene..." Nex still can't see any of the people speaking. He soon feels the woman's hands on him as she pulls him off the ground, she isn't rough with her touch, gentle, in fact. “''Your actions harm our world… Corvus.” The man lowers his head a bit and then in the next instant with a sharp motion he pulls out a sleek black gun with a large barrel and violet tinges, it looks like it belongs with something else, as the look of the weapon is rather incomplete with a singular black wing-like ornament on the body where the hammer would be. For the first time, the man’s headpiece splits apart to shows off bright violet eyes full of emotion when he holds the gun horizontally, pointing it right at the women as a shadowy flare of what appears to be violet and black feather-like shadows forms up inside of it. “''Your vibes of intimidation? Unleashing your weapon for something like this...you're contributing to the world's pain now." She sighs. "That purpose of yours is nothing but an illusion, now I request you to believe in possibilities aside that you know to be factual 'truths', and release him." The raven-hair stranger frowns with hesitation in the next words while his hand slowly moves on the gun. "I don't desire this any more than you do." "Desire? Because it seems you very much do desire it if you're going through with this. Won't you instead explain to me why you choose this? To defy the world's desires?" Her voice shows no signs of feeling the threat, it remains calm, still somber and soft. He doesn't say anything and gives a few glances to the AIP. "You throw away your life for uncertainty, your downfall will only upset the ones who have always cared about you." "Enough." He growls slightly as energy from his weapon begins to make a shadowy blaze around him. Nex feels his conscious slipping, all he can make out is the man’s imposing tone. “''I will not repeat myself, Irene. I will destroy even you.” He adds it in warning. "''The world's insanity has spread to you..." after she trails off in a reluctant mannerism, she finally finishes her thought with resolve. "very well." Rather than the bluenette fighting, though, the AIP come at him instead and pass by as she makes her way out of the area with Nex in her arms. The man notices the AIP come at him in a haste, their blades poising themselves to plunge into his body like they had done to Nex. With a frown and unflinching hand, he fires off a single shot of the gathered magic-based blaze around his own body. But what comes out isn’t a bullet exactly, when the dark projectile lands to the ground it makes a purple void tear and burn along the concrete. The man then motions with his hand, and a winged manifestation of a rune shaping itself like a bird ascends, the blazing energy of its body striking the three in a blur before it fades out in the shadows. Still holding the guns while they're staggering, he comes in, the energy gyrating around him he throws his arms out as the energy stops itself then flows outward from his body in a display of several lacerating shadows that burn through. Two go down instantly, their armor couldn't protect them from the man's assault, and something shatters in their body in a bright and illuminating display of blue. Without resistance, they then fall to the earth without a sound. The last to survive, comes in toward him, uncaring of its chances to live. It breaks just as easily as the others when he slams his weapon into her and it makes a blade of shadow near the wing ornament on the gun. It sinks into her and causes another burst of that strange light from within her body before her visor falls off and she slides down to the floor in front of the man. "I'm sorry. Your lives should have been meant for better..." His words hold no bitterness toward the beings, only a hint of sorrow. Once all three were taken care of, he runs ahead after Irene, but he doesn’t get there fast enough as she phases through a portal in the square. Squinting his violet eyes before the headpiece reforms around his face. “''Damn…''” Saying it to himself, Corvus clenches his hand tightly before the gun vanishes into the shadows. “''My, isn't that peculiar, someone like you out here where the last bit of resistance seemingly fell. But this does align with my own ideas... what to do?” A knowing and elegant voice came from behind the man, but it almost seems like she teases him. Without concern, he turns his head over his shoulder and to the direction of a pillar of the broken down building. Following upward until his gaze puts itself on the individual who stands atop it. “...Observer.” He mentions it in certainty. The vampire with long blonde hair who stands atop of the broken pillar gives a faint smile while looking at the man, not a speck of ash on her black and gold dress as a forceful wind around her keeps it from even dirtying it a bit. Her bright golden eyes look downward to Corvus in interest. "''It would appear you're about to cross the point of no return...in that case, what would you say to a proposition, to ensure your soul will survive your desires, Corvus?" The man lowers his head only slightly, while he goes quiet at the thought but doesn't reject it yet either. "All you have to do, is help give that boy a nudge, one more time." She puts her finger to her chin as she makes the offer with an intent and delicate grin, eager to hear his answer. ---- End of Hope of the Blue To be continued in Crimson Beginnings ---- Category:Transcript Category:EvoBlaze Category:Rebellion Sequence Transcript Category:Control Sequence